From Scratch
by padfoot's prose
Summary: As Carl Sagan said, "If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe." Only I'm going the other way around. Starting with Wizard Sweets, these drabbles create a universe. L/J
1. Cockroach Clusters

******A/N: I went looking for prompts about four hours ago. And then 5000 words of Lily/James happened... so, uh, enjoy!**

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**Cockroach Clusters ****– Are gross. Just kidding. People hate cockroach clusters ****so this challenge is to write about someone that hates someone else.**

She'd always been told – accompanied of course by winks and nudges from elderly relatives, or wise, heavy nods from cousins just a years older, who'd suddenly turned eighteen and felt like they knew it all – that there was a fine line between pleasure and pain. That this silly boy who she resolutely professed to hate so strongly would probably end up as her husband one day.

That they'd live in a little cottage in a little village and shut themselves off from the world when it got too much. That they'd have big fights that woke up the neighbours and sent dogs barking down the street, but in the end they'd find themselves in each other's arms, sobbing and shaking and _wanting_ so much to just be able to love without all of the hurt. That they'd have a son and then maybe twin daughters, and spoil the babies rotten and try not to fight so much when they were around.

That they'd discover that those feelings – so confusing and brutal and painful – that broiled within were really something much more like fear than hate. Fear of the unknown. Fear of the passion they could pull from one another at the drop of a hat. Fear of every part of themselves that only existed around the other.

It all made Lily wrinkle her nose and roll her eyes.

Puh. As if.


	2. Chocoballs

**A/N: Should probably mention that this is for owluvr's Honeydukes Competition on HPFC. Thank you, sweetie for all the inspiration!**

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**Chocoballs**** – Urban dictionary defines chocoballs as, "A way to get a girl to fall for you and works every time."**** I'm totally serious. So this challenge is to write a romance story.**

He'd thought it was clever. He'd thought she'd never heard it before. He'd thought – cocky and arrogant and convinced, as always, that she only had eyes for him – that Lily couldn't possibly have understood that blatant, sick innuendo as he'd said, expression a mask of innocence, "Hey, Evans, I've just been to Honeydukes. You want a Chocoball to suck on?"

She fixed him with a withering look.

"I wouldn't go anywhere near your so-called 'Chocoballs' if we were the last two people on the planet and the only other thing to eat was rats tails."

He looked taken aback, but tried to hoist that stupid, arrogant look back onto his face as he beckoned to his cronies and ducked away through the portrait hole. Lily, extremely satisfied with herself, spun to Alice with a grin. But Alice's smile was apologetic.

"Um, Lily? I think he was just offering you chocolates. He gave me a Chocoball too, just a second ago." She opened her mouth, revealing the large sphere of chocolate resting on her tongue. "It's delicious!"


	3. Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans

**A/N: I'm sorry. This one is sort of obvious.**

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**Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans**** – It's a risk just to try one. ****So this story has to be about your character taking a risk in some way shape or form.**

Everything about it was insane. Absolutely mental, so ridiculous that, normally, Lily never would've tried it. Only-

Only that was _old_ Lily.

That was the Lily Evans who didn't believe in taking chances, in trying new things, in, well, in _investing_ in something now, because she had a feeling deep down in her gut that it would pay off in the future.

But she, now in this moment, was the new Lily Evans. That one who worked up the courage and the damn pig-headed stubbornness to force herself through a date, and then another. Who kept going and going and _coping_ – chewing on the awful taste, letting it all spread out on her tongue, sink to the back of her throat – and just persisted until... until she suddenly realised that she wasn't just persisting anymore. She was enjoying it. More than that. Beginning to- to maybe even- love it?

Maybe everything about it really was insane.

Maybe that didn't matter.

Maybe, just maybe, this boy – with his smile and his laugh and his bloody perfect hair – was a risk worth taking.


	4. Pumpkin Pasties

**A/N: And this is why I'm secretly in love with James Potter. Shh. Don't tell Lily.**

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**Pumpkin Pasties**** - Pasties are nice and sweet. So the challenge here is to write about one character helping another character out.**

Lily knew she was never going to get this. Not in a million years. Not if she'd had four weeks to try and master this spell instead of four days.

"This is hopeless, James," she said for the thousandth time, loosening her grip on her wand and letting it dangle in her grip. "I'm never going to be able to do this in time."

"Yes, you will, Lily. Because you are Lily Evans and if there's one thing I know, it's that Lily Evans never gives up. The only person more persistent that you is me. So I'm going to teach you to do this, and we're going to keeping trying until you get it. Because maybe I can't help you with Potions or Charms or, you know, not getting detentions, but if there is one thing I can do it is Transfiguration. And I will do this for you, I promise. We will do this. Together."

Lily met James's tired gaze across the empty Common Room. He was practically drooping with exhaustion, but still he stood up tall, blinking away his tiredness as he fixed his bright-eyed gaze on her. The look that passed between them was something akin to stubbornness. A: _we will do this, because if nothing in this school could beat us divided, there is no way that anything will beat us combined_.

It didn't mean she liked him – the fact that they were sharing this. It just meant that somewhere, deep down within her, something that she'd worked to keep frozen started to thaw. Some feeling that she'd been unwilling to face began to build, low in her belly. Slowly, but surely, things began to change.

"You know the incantation, you know how it works. So just- believe in yourself. You can do this, Lily. Now try it again."


	5. Fudge Flies

**A/N: Let's face it: this totally happened. It is canon.**

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**Fudge Flies**** – Flies are little and annoying and constantly at your side. Just like family. And sometimes friends.**** So this challenge is to write about family members or friends-no romance!**

"I think I like him."

Lily couldn't have imagined that uproarious cheer that arose from the group surrounding her at the confession. She'd expected some sort of a big deal, yes, but not- not _this_. Confetti was being conjured from nowhere and streamers were trailing out of wand ends. Alice and Frank were kissing passionately where they sat side-by-side on the floor as if this was some sort of victory of _their's_ and for the life of her Lily couldn't understand what the big deal was.

So she liked James Potter. So what?

"You have no idea how long we've been waiting for this," Marlene said, pulling Lily into a hug. "_Oh_, and the Common Room will be so quiet now. No yelling and now throwing things at each other. And no constant fear of walking down corridors with you because James might jump out at any second and present some over-the-top, harebrained Hogsmede-date-proposal to you. Oh, _Merlin_, this is _fantastic_ Lily. I'm not just happy for you. I'm happy for everyone. This entire school will sleep easier knowing that you have James Potter successfully under control."

"But, Marlene," Lily replied, "I'm not going to actually _tell_ him yet. I mean, that would be-"

The room suddenly fell into silence. Glares and gapes and expression of utter, unmasked horror were fixed on Lily.

"Oh." Marlene said.

And everyone hastily sat down again.


	6. Peppermint Toads

**A/N: Heehee. Can you pick the unpopular couple that I was not-so-subtly shipping here?**

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**Peppermint Toads**** – A group of toads is called a knot, did you know that? So this challenge is to write about a group of people.**

"What happened to choosing us over anyone else, Prongs?"

"Exactly! We had plans for tonight – plans that we've had for ages. And what-? Suddenly Evans decides she likes you and now we're just second-rate? That's not fair."

"Padfoot's right, mate. It isn't. We were friends with you first."

"We _did_ have plans. Not that I'm endorsing them but... it does seem like you spend a lot of time with Lily now."

"See! If even _Moony _thinks he's being neglected then-"

"What does that mean? 'Even Moony'?"

"I just mean you usually don't complain about being neglected. I mean, from _my_ experience-"

"From 'your experience'?! Merlin, Padfoot, it's not as if-"

"You two need to stop arguing! We're talking about _Prongs_ here and-"

"Not as if _what_, huh? What!"

"Look, guys, just- stop! I'm sorry, okay. But I promised Lily I'd study with her tonight. And quite frankly, she makes much better company than you Marauders when you're bickering like an old married couple."

Lily quickly stepped away from the door when she heard footsteps on the other side, turning to walk back up the last few steps to the boys' dormitory just as James came out the door.

"Oh, Merlin! Did I make you wait too long?"

"No," Lily shook her head, "I was just coming up to find you now, actually. I needed to tell you that there's been a change of plans. No studying tonight."

"No studying?" James seemed disbelieving.

Lily shrugged, and tried not to sound flustered as she thought up the first lie she could, "Well, I got a lot more work done before dinner than I expected. So I'm taking a break tonight, hanging out with friends. Alice and Marlene have been complaining that I never see them, so..."

"So I'm free?"

"If you want to think of it like that, yes. Spend time with your friends, James. The guys- the, uh, _Marauders_ – they miss you. And I don't want to get between them and you."

His grin was positively enormous.

"Thank you, Lily. Really. You're amazing."

Lily blushed as he leant in to kiss her on the cheek, before answering with a smile, "I know I am. But it doesn't hurt to hear it every so often."

"Any time," James vowed. Then he turned around and hurried back into his dormitory.


	7. Fizzing Whizbees

**A/N: Be warned in advance that 'whooshy' is not a word. I'm very tired. Don't blame me.**

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**Fizzing Whizbees**** – These treats make you levitate. So you're not on the ground. Just like in Quidditch.**** So your challenge is to write about a Quidditch player.**

"Stop it."

"Stop what?"

"The hair thing."

"What hair thing?"

"The _whooshy_ hair thing. I know you were just about to do it. Your hand in right there, all poised to run through your hair and make it all... whooshy."

"I don't think 'whooshy' is a word, Lily."

"Don't be patronising. Just don't do the hair thing. Please, James, I will actually get down on my knees and beg you."

"Really?"

"No. I'll hex your hand so it break out in boils and weighs you down so much you'll have to drag your knuckles on the floor as you walk all the way to the Hospital Wing on your own."

"Oh. That's not very nice."

"Well neither is doing the hair thing when I ask you not to."

"Okay, fine. I won't do the hair thing. Am I allowed to ask why not?"

"I don't want you to do it because it's dumb. That's why."

"...that isn't why. You're lying."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not!"

"Are too!

"I _am not_-!"

"Lily, seriously? Are we doing this? Because I know when you're lying. All I want is for you to just tell me why I'm not allowed to do it."

"Fine."

"You'll tell me?"

"Promise not to laugh."

"I try not to make promises to you that I can't keep."

"Fair enough. Okay. Here goes.

"I don't want you to do the hair thing, because I know you do it because you think it makes you look like you've just come off a broomstick. Just finished some stupid Quidditch game or something."

"_Lily_! Quidditch isn't-"

"Do you want to know why or not?"

"Sorry. I'll stop interrupting. Go on."

"So, you think it looks windswept and stuff. Only, everyone else- well, everyone else maybe used to think that, but now... now that think your hair's messy because... because of, well, _me_. And it's embarrassing. And it's _not funny_, James Potter! I told you not to laugh!"

"I never promised anything, remember? And it is, you know, kind of funny. A little."

"Maybe a little."

"Merlin, they think you did this?"

"Yes."

"But don't they know than when you do it it's kind of more to the side. Like, this bit is always sticking out like _this_ and then this bit is all ruffled up _that_ way and-"

"Shut up, you horrible prat!"


	8. Ice Mice

**A/N: Ah, the irony...**

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**Ice Mice ****– Mice are small. ****So the challenge here is to write a drabble.**

She loved him. It was that bloody simple.

The realisation didn't need fanfare: it didn't need balloons, applause, hugs and kisses. It just needed three little words and a little prayer sent silently away into a universe that she only half-understood. The plea that _please please please _she'd hear those three words said right back to her from him.


	9. Cauldron Cakes

**A/N: This was meant to be adorable, and then it just kind of went on for too long. Apologies for that.**

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**Cauldron Cakes**** – A cauldron is where a leprechaun keeps their treasure. If you find that treasure, it's supposed to be a good, happy thing. ****So for this one, you have to write a happy story.**

She was better than him at Potions. Everybody knew it. Yet still, day after day, class after class, disastrous mistake after disastrous mistake, he persisted in trying to prove her wrong. It made no difference that they were dating now. It didn't matter that behind closed doors – Hell, even in front of open doors, like that one time Marlene had walked in on them in Lily's bed and just huffed out an annoyed sound and stomped out of the dormitory again – they were perfectly friendly now. Probably pushing the boundaries of friendly, actually, really.

The thing was that none of that mattered. What mattered is that, in the classroom, they were still competitors. And it still gave Lily that pleasant little feeling of joy when she beat James. And his skills in Potions just made it too easy to do so.

"Everyone, flames off please! Step back from your potions, it's time for me to test them."

There was a last-minute flurry of movement as everyone tried desperately to add those last few ingredients. Only Lily and one other boy (a boy whose existence she made of appoint of ignoring) obediently stepped back, presenting their mixtures to Slughorn with confidence etched on their faces.

"Severus, this is marvellous. Look everyone how just a pinch of rainbow trout scales makes every last drop of potion disappear. Splendid, Severus. Very well done."

The Potions Master stopped and started at the five cauldrons between Lily and Snape, tutting at varying degrees as each Disappearing Draught either disappeared too much, sucking the cauldron away with it, or disappear too little, leaving a splash of bright yellow liquid at the bottom of the cauldron. When he reached Lily, Slughorn was already beaming. He sprinkled the trout scales into her cauldron and bounced on his toes in excitement as her cauldron emptied neatly.

"Another perfect potion, Miss Evans! Well done. And now for Mr Potter's..."

Lily turned around to watch Slughorn tend to James's potion, biting the inside of her lip as he dropped the scales into the cauldron and the class held its collective breath, looking for the outcome. The collective breath was let out in a gasp. For, in the bottom of James's cauldron, spelled out by the bright yellow liquid that should've been disappeared away, was a loopily-scrawled message.

_Lily Evans cordially invites you to attend Slughorn's Winter Ball as her date. Say yes?_

James looked up at Lily, mouth slightly agape.

"Yes?" he said, the word a question.

Lily grinned.

Slughorn, still bent over the cauldron, straightened to glance between them, looking bemused.

"Carved a message into your cauldron-bottom, I see. I think the clever Miss Evans knew you'd be a bit too generous when adding frogs' toes. Don't let her go, boy!"

The last bit was accompanied by a pat on the shoulder, before Slughorn moved on to the next student.

"What if I'd gotten the potion right?" James asked, "Would I not have been invited?"

"Of course not!" Lily answered. "Potions is the one thing I know I can beat you at. You think I'd ask you to be my date if you finally bettered me in this too? I'd probably kicked you up the arse and not talk to you for a week!"

James choked out a laugh, still looking somewhat shocked at the turn of events.

"Well, I guess I should be grateful for small mercies then," he muttered.

Lily just smiled.


	10. Pepper Imps

**A/N: And this time I _didn't_ be obvious! Yay!**

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**Pepper Imps**** – Apparently, these make you breathe fire. Which means you're mad. ****So the challenge is to write about a character being mad, or upset at another character for some reason or another.**

"I am going to _kill_ you!"

The dormitory door banged open, making James jump, startled, where he was sitting on his bed.

"You are _such_ a _prat_, Potter! I can't believe I ever let you anywhere near my stuff! I can't believe I've slept in the same _room_ as you! I don't know why I ever even bothered thinking that you were- that we could even be friends when all you _ever _do is..."

Lily giggled where she and James were perched on his four-poster bed, the book they'd been reading now discarded on the covers. Between them, they exchanged a secret high-five, watching on in amusement as Sirius stormed around the dormitory, searching high and low for the razor James had stolen from him.

Lily may or not have made a point of teasingly complimenting Sirius's beard at every possible opportunity for the next three days. It wasn't that she was suddenly a fan of pranks or anything. It's just that, well, it was really quite _funny_.


	11. Sugar Quills

**A/N: I had no idea where I was going with this as I was writing it. Not positive that it ends up making sense...**

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**Sugar Quills**** – Quills are used to write at Hogwarts. So this challenge is do something written.**

Dear James,

The strangest thing happened today, you wouldn't believe it.

Well, I was in the Dining Hall at dinner – late as of course you know I'd be, what with exams coming up so soon I got carried away studying and lost track of the time and- but that's not the point. Anyway, I was in the Dining Hall. On my own, mind. I mean, obviously not _on my own_ because there were other people there, of course, but none of our friends or anything, no one I was really sitting with or talking to. So, there I am 'on my own', and this girl comes up to me – first or second year, Hufflepuff, I've never met her in my life (and don't start with a lecture now on how I should know all the people at Hogwarts – just because I'm Head Girl doesn't mean I have to know everyone. Just because you take your Head Boy duties thjat far doesn't mean I have to too.) and she hands me this slip of paper, a napkin, I think. And on the paper it says:

_Missed you at dinner. And breakfast. And lunch.  
Please come meet me by the portrait of the fruit bowl later.  
We haven't shared one meal today and I want my last meal to be with you.  
- J_

Morbidity aside, I thought it was kind of sweet. So I trotted along to the fruit bowl portrait and loitered there for a while. And then curiosity got the better of me and did a bit of snooping and, lo-and-behold! A kitchen! I was offered lots of food (which I gratefully accepted) and then, when I asked, parchment and a quill. And so I wrote all of this down.

If you receive this letter, firstly, thank you for the good advice. Free food is much appreciated. Secondly, on the back of this you will see a detention slip. I've been avoiding you all day because I saw you hex Jocelyn Proot from behind on the way back from dinner last night. That was entirely unnecessary. Just because her boyfriend bought her the brooch that I liked before you could get it for me is no reason to give her puss-filled growths _that_ large or in _that _location.

Enjoy your detention!

- L

P.S. Think of this as the aspect of Head duties that I _can_ be thorough with!


	12. Chocolate Frogs

**A/N: This prompt gave me Lily-and-James-never-getting-to-see-Harry-grow-up feels. Because of reasons.**

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**Chocolate Frogs**** – You get a card of a famous witch or wizard. ****So this challenge is to write things from the past.**

"I'm going to be on one of these one day."

Lily looked up from her Arithmancy notes, glancing over at James where he was lounging in the armchair next to hers. He was chewing on something, taking the time to swallow it down before he turned to meet his girlfriend's stare.

"A Chocolate Frog Card," he explained, lifting one that lay on his lap so she could see.

Rolling her eyes, Lily turned back to her notes. She squinted down at the last point she'd written, chewing on her lip as she leant up to re-read a passage from her textbook before beginning to copy it down.

"So you're saying that," she started, still writing swiftly on her parchment, "That, despite not doing any study for your NEWTs, one day you'll be as famous as Dumbledore?"

"More famous!" James laughed, "And I have been studying. Just not as much as you have."

Lily didn't roll her eyes this time, just pursed her lips and continued with her silent note-taking. She hoped that James could feel the judgement practically radiating off her. The annoyance mixed with admiration mixed with even more annoyance that he could get by just as well as her and study half as much.

"Don't be like that," James murmured, and she could hear him slide off the couch to join her where she knelt on the floor, elbows hiked up onto the low table as she scribbled down another equation. "You know that I study too. I just have different... methods to you. Besides, the Chocolate Frog thing is really just a pipe dream. If either of us is ever going to get on one of those Cards we both know it'd be you.

She spared him a quick glance, and _Thank you, but it's really not the time._

"Better still, maybe neither of us will get on one of those cards."

It was bait that she couldn't resist biting.

"James, how on earth is that-?"

"Maybe our kids will get on them. Imagine that, Lil, if every kid of ours does something amazing. Completely outdoes both of us, of course, because they've got all your work ethic and brains as well as my, well, natural charisma and raw sexual energy."

Lily snorted, and in the corner of her eye she could see James duck his head in a self-deprecating gesture.

"Well, what if just one kid of ours got on a Chocolate Frog Card, huh? Is that dreaming too big for you?"

Laying down her quill, Lily turned to look at the boy beside her. His head was still bowed a little, hanging with tiredness and nerves that he refused to show, but his eyes shone brightly up at her, always so utterly engaged in her, as if she were the most fascinating thing in the world to him. Those eyes seemed to be constantly questioning – something that for years she'd taken as a challenge now so plainly _wondering_, seeking nothing more or less than answers that apparently only she could give.

"I think," she said, "That talking about kids is dreaming plenty big for us."

James blushed, reached out a hand to push a stray lock of hair behind Lily's cheek.

"Although, if we are having children, then I think I'd hope to love them anyway. Whether they have their names drawn on Chocolate Frog Cards or just etched onto our hearts. Because-" she faltered, searching for the courage to go on. James's hand curled around her cheek, his eyes so bloody _fascinated_ as they looked into her's. "Because they'd be _ours_, James. And I think that would be- I _know _it would be more than enough for me."


	13. Acid Pops

**A/N: Haha - I bet you thought we'd make it all the way through without angst. Nope! Fooled ya!**

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**Acid Pops**** – They burn holes straight through your tongue. ****So it's like you're missing a part of this challenge is to write about someone that missing a part of them.**

She hated how she felt when they fought. She hated how it felt. She hated how much it _hurt_ – how it hurt all over, hurt all of her, every muscle and every inch of skin.

When they screamed at each other, they screamed stupidly and dumbly and deafly, screaming for the sake of it burning one another. And so it dug its way into her mind and her body. It scalded her from the inside out, starting in her eyes when his pierced into hers, searing her with sun-gold heat. Then that venom, like a red-hot poison would seep through her, pumping through her veins, careering off the walls of her- _empty! You're bloody empty inside! As if you don't even notice everything I've done for you, Evans – all the ways I've changed. Just. For. You._ Her empty, empty insides.


	14. Treacle Fudge

**A/N: And now stuff starts getting serious. Shh. We all know I do this at the end of Lily/James stories. Because, y'know, their story is not exactly all fluffy happiness.**

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**Treacle Fudge**** – It's a speciality of Hagrid's. It cements your mouth shut. So for this one, I challenge you to write a story with no dialogue.**

The need sort of creeps up on her. She doesn't realise it at first – not like she did with love, where it was _there_ straight away. Love was strong and proud and _present_ from the beginning, but _need_... need it more subtle.

It manifests in actions that she doesn't even notice, in things she's not realising she says or feels or hears or does. The way her eyes find his, beckon him until he's close and she can reach for his hand whenever he's nearby. The way her ears prick up at the sound of his name – _James,_ something so innocuous and common that it has her ears getting whiplash form all the listening she's doing – and she eavesdrops so unconsciously as people talk and gossip and whisper and hiss. The way her hearts does that strange _yearning_ thing when he's not around. The way her head seems to notice so much when he isn't around.

Everything about it is uncomfortable, making her squirm in her skin. She doesn't like it, she quickly discovers. Lily Evans is not a girl designed to _need_.

And yet, she cannot help it at all. She needs this boy- this man that James had become – in the same way that she needs air or food. As exams finish up and the year comes to close, she can't really believe how potent it is, how impossible it is to ever leave his side.

It's not sensible or logical or maybe even normal. But _Merlin_, it is strong.

So, after a while, she stops trying to resist. She squeezes his hand tight and refuses to let go, lets the tears well in her eyes and hopes she can communicate it to him without using the words that she could never bring herself to say. And he squeezes back, and somehow she knows – just _knows_ – that he hears her, loud and clear.


	15. Licorice Wands

**A/N: And the descent continues...**

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**Licorice Wands**** – Wands have to do with magic. ****So the challenge is to have your story take place in a magical setting****.**

How could she be leaving?

It felt so, so fundamentally, gut-deep, heart-achingly _wrong _to leave this place, this school. It was her home. It was all their homes.

She'd grown up here, grown into her family and her life and her world. Grown into her_self._ It was utterly impossible to imagine leaving.

And yet-

Yet here she was. Stepping into a carriage, hearing the quick, hot breaths of invisible horses and numb, background chatter of everyone else. Everyone who wasn't leaving their homes forever.

"Come on, Lily," James said, extending a hand. "We need to go."

She bit her lip, looking up at him because _he_, surely, would understand.

"I don't want to go," she whispered, like it was a secret.

"But I need you here," he replied. "I'm going out into the big, wide world. And I need you, Lily Evans, so make sure I can survive it. I can't cope without you. But Hogwarts- it can. It will.  
He grasped her hand in his and leant closer, sliding off his seat to squat on the floor of the carriage so his eyes were even with hers, where she still stood on the ground. "Hogwarts doesn't love you like I do, Lily. No one and nothing else will ever love you as much as that."


	16. Blood-flavoured Lollipops

**A/N: Thank you for joining me on this crazy journey, and congratulations if you made it all the way through!**

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**Blood-flavoured Lollipops**** – Which are for vampires. Who kill people. ****So this story has to be about a character witnesses/causing a death**

She'd never seen death before the McKinnons.

In that moment, when she'd opened the door and come upon their bodies, that had been the only numb thought that had jolted into her head. It had sat there too, like a waiting charge, its energy had been tangible, paused in silent waiting, poised to come to life once the circuit was connected. And for weeks and weeks after, she had been so terrified that something would activate that charge, and set it off inside her.

She hadn't known what it would do.

She hadn't known how to handle death, what to do with the fact that it was _there_ inside her head – so solid and true and absolutely inconceivable. Because how could all these people who only _days_ ago were real suddenly not be? It disobeyed everything she'd ever learnt, all the solid fact and logic and reason that she'd always been drawn to, now seeming as brittle and sharp as glass as she tried to still cling to those comfort, tried to hold on to the things that made sense.

Things don't just disappear. Not even magic can do that.

But death-

It doesn't. It was that simple, in the end: life and death? They don't the follow the rules.

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**A/N: I am doing a Christmas Gift thing for people who read my stories both here and on tumblr: I am writing personal Christmas fics for everyone who wants one. All you have to do is scurry over to my tumblr (padfoots-page****) and have a read of the very first post/the one entitled 'Padfoot's Christmas Gifts'. In that I explain how this gift system is working, and provide a link to the survey I need you to fill in so that I can send you your gift. If you do want a gift, please make sure you have PMs open on this or are willing to allow me to send a fic over in some other way.**

**Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone, and thanks for being amazing!**


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